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Monday, February 1, 2010

Sen. Begich Feted at Posh Florida Resort by Tobacco and Other Sleazy Lobbyists

On his first free weekend since the U.S. Supreme Court turned our political system over to huge multinational corporations and their lobbyists, Alaska Sen. Mark Begich enjoyed the company of these huge multinational corporations' top lobbyists at Florida's Miami Beach Ritz Carlton South Beach Resort:

Across the table was a who's who of 108 senior Washington lobbyists, including the top lobbying officials for many of the industries Democrats regularly attack: Represented were the American Bankers Association, the tobaco company Altria, the oil company Marathon, the Edison Electric Institute, which has battled climate regulation, several drug manufacturers, the defense contractor Lockheed, and most of the large independent lobbying firms: Ogilvy, BGR, Quinn Gillespie, Heather Podesta, and Tony Podesta.

The weekend's mellow schedule political included a Friday night dinner followed by a Saturday morning Political Breakfast Briefing, two Saturday evening "informal conversations with Senators, followed by a reception and dinner at DiLido Beach Club.The Miami beach fundraiser guest list, to which a DSCC spokesman didn't immediately have a reaction, was a standard, corporate-heavy event that both parties have long used for high-dollar fundraising. Other guests included lobbyists for two Indian tribes, for McDonalds, for beer and wine sellers, Ford, and a small handful of advocacy groups...

I haven't gotten the press release from Mark's office yet, that details all the work he did for Alaskans there.

Goes to show that 'campaign finance reform' and the tranparent revelation of who is backing whom, and how much money and perks are involved, should be the first item on the agenda. It really gets me riled to see these politicians get elected by the people and then proceed to sell their votes to the highest bidders (who then vote against the interests and welfare of the very people who put them into office...UH?!) Yeah, some unified righteous indignation seems to be wants needed, but sorrowfully lacking.

making unsubstatiated assertions and accusations without providing any evidence can't be defended by any means, let alone by attempting to call it 'news'.

That's what Fox News does.

That's what you're doing here.

No difference.

A source, one single source, Ben Smith of Politico, (known far and wide to 'report' several times material which is later proved groundless and not factual), reported simply that Begich's name was purportedly included on a 'guest list' a fundraising event.

Ben Smith offered no proof Begich was in fact being schmoozed, no proof that Begich was actually on some 'guest list', but you cut and pasted Ben Smith's unsubstantiated assertions and accusations as if you'd fact-checked and confirmed such mere inference as being undeniable truth.

You embellish Ben Smith's sole source assertions, by your unfounded and likely totally fabricated headline, which attempts to describe Begich being 'feted' at this event.

You continue with your unfounded embellishment by attempting to make the inference that since you don't have a press release from Begich's office, that Begich was, in fact, somehow not working in Alaska's interests, therefore, your inference that he can only be up to no good .

Who else is echoing Ben Smith's assertions and attempting to lend credence to this so-called 'news' through the repetition of this example of nothing more than an unsubstantiated, single source assertion?

The right, the right's talk radio, several unabashed tea bagger sites, and similar right wing members of their so-called 'press', which performs their echo chamber duty.

Politico and Ben Smith are well known to be integral cogs in the Republican echo chamber.

And here you are, carrying their water for them as if you're being paid to do it.

It wouldn't be any ground-shaking news if Begich was invited to a fundraiser.

There are some election year politics going on in Florida, Democratic fundraising is happening, and the Democrats are seemingly raising more funds than the Republicans. For Democrats and progressives, Democrats winnning in Florida elections on any level could only be seen as a positive.

Attempting to raise some stink or attach some unsubstantiated smell to Begich, especially based solely on the unsubstantiated rumors coming from the right, cannot be defended by attempting to claim you're reporting news.

You're either willingly playing the pawn to your opponents unprincipled plans.

Or, you're clueless about your part in carrying their water for them.

One thing is certain, you're attempting to create an incredulously fraudulent and meritless cover for you're own lack of basic journalistic sense and responsibility.

Your post provides nothing whatsoever to back up the assertions, you don't prove that Begich is even in Florida, you provide no evidence of what his actions were if he was in fact somewhere or anywhere in Florida,

you only echo opposition noise.

There's no honor in what you have done, no integrity or ethic in it that you can defend.

Your post is a shining example that can only make Rupert and Ailes very proud that they have played their game just as they'd designed it to play out.

freeper

and just to note the obvious, attempting to ignore the content and context provided to you in comments by responding in the manner of some insecure schoolyard child who can only defend their actions by calling others assholes and douchebags isn't going to lend you any more credence and it won't assist you in climbing out of the holes you keep digging for yourself.

If you surmise you should be holding someone's feet to the fire, you should at least be willing and have the spine to acknowledge when your own charred stumps are smelling up the room.